Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Jared's Deep Misunderstanding

Hearing the shout, Jared immediately picked up his pace and rushed over.

He completely missed the brief flash of guilt that crossed Gia's eyes.

When he reached the assistant, Jared stared down at the skeletal remains and frowned deeply.

"These bones don't look centuries old. They definitely don't belong to this historical site."

"It looks like someone dumped a body here. Call the police first."

Jared gestured to Gia, who nodded stiffly and pulled out her phone to dial 911.

By the time the cops and the medical examiner arrived, the bones had been fully unearthed.

I stared down at the shattered, incomplete skeleton.

If I hadn't spent the last three years staring at it in the dark, I wouldn't have even recognized myself.

The medical examiner carefully inspected the remains before sharing his initial thoughts.

"Based on this, the time of death was roughly three years ago. The exact cause is still unclear."

"The victim suffered massive blunt force trauma or an explosion, as there are multiple fractures across the skeleton. We need to take this back to the lab for a full analysis to be sure."

The moment he said that, a heavy silence fell over the site.

The assistant glanced nervously at Jared, struggling to get his words out.

"Professor Hayes, I remember this site blew up exactly three years ago. And Professor Carter went missing right around that time..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew exactly what he was implying.

Jared let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"She ran away because she was guilty. Why the hell would she be dead in here?"

"Gia told me back then that Jane was working with a few other thugs from the smuggling ring. This is probably just one of her accomplices."

"Jane likely used them as a scapegoat to cover her own tracks."

Just saying my name made Jared take a few deep breaths.

His face twisted with pure disgust, as if speaking those syllables drained his energy.

"Jane is completely ruthless when it comes to money. She doesn't even care about human life."

"And don't call her 'Professor' anymore. She doesn't deserve the title."

Those last words completely shattered everything I had worked for my entire life.

I had treated archaeology and human life as the most sacred things in the world.

Now, I was nothing but a filthy criminal in their eyes.

Even my own husband thought I was unworthy of my title. It was a sick joke.

The assistant opened his mouth to speak but ultimately swallowed his words and lowered his head.

Gia stepped up and gently rubbed Jared's shoulder, her eyes full of fake concern.

"Don't worry, Jared. I know Jane will be caught eventually."

Jared clenched his fists tightly.

"You're right. People like her need to face justice."

I looked down at my transparent, glowing hands and smiled bitterly.

Justice? Punishment?

I had already received my punishment.

But it wasn't for breaking the law.

It was the punishment for being foolish enough to trust Gia, and for loving a man like Jared.